I NOTE Joel Fitzgibbon's satisfaction with the safety of Orica's Kooragang ammonium nitrate storage after his visit ('MP's 'explosive' claim', Newcastle Herald 21/8)
With due respect to the MP, I would think a satisfactory review of the Orica's safety systems would take more than a one-day visit and need the technical expertise to review risk assessments, risk reduction strategies and quality assurance auditing processes. These are basic provisions for a world class safety system, which Orica says it has. In view of the Beirut explosion, in my opinion Orica would need to review and revise their risk assessment and procedures.
The Safe Work Australia safety analysis risk matrix indicates that even a rare event (occurring once in 100,000 years) is still a high risk if multiple fatalities occur. The human and economic cost of a nitrate explosion at Orica should therefore be intolerable to local and state governments.
Safe Work Australia safety management requires that if the risk of multiple fatalities is not less than moderate and cannot be reduced further, the activity must be ceased. This suggests the cost-effective solution is to separate the storage of large quantities of ammonium nitrate remotely from the site.
The people of Newcastle require Orica to state their case; do they have a certified quality control system and procedures audited independently by a quality assurance assessor? What is their declared safety system integrity claim and exclusion zone distances for Kooragang and Sandgate repositories? Only then I would let my mum live nearby.
Paul Duggan, Garden Suburb
Shift the debate, not the storage
I REFER to the Joel Fitzgibbon's comments in the Herald, regarding comments about the Orica plant in Newcastle. Here's a couple of discussion points:
It has been there over 50 years and generally, aside from some leaks in the 10 years and other relatively minor incidents, is a safe operation.
It is a registered hazardous goods facility and mustmaintain appropriate safety standards, that in part are at a level required of G20 first world developed countries
If something were to go catastrophically wrong, sure, the effects would be felt for some time, but these are unlikely if measured against what happened in Beirut.
Beirut occurred due to poor governance, poor day to day materials handling and poor government. I am not saying this won't happen, but the debate must be balanced.
Successive local and state governments are to blame for allowing the neighbours to move in. They approve the nearby developments, not Orica.
If we didn't have this facility, the amount of ammonium nitrate coming through the Port of Newcastle would be far higher and the storage a lot more problematic.
Let's control what we know and maintain the safety standards as they are. If you moved into the suburb and are concerned about it, then move out.
Doug Bell, Ashtonfield
No-one can predict everything
I FOUND it typical of politician Joel Fitzgibbon to sidestep the debate about the risk of Orica's storage of up to 12,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate at Kooragang Island. Ideally, the entire operation ought to move away from Newcastle.
Understandably, that is unlikely to happen due to financial considerations but he steered the conversation away from moving the stockpile to a less risky location, saying "one of the things that need to be considered here is if the plant was forced to be moved elsewhere then we probably wouldn't have a plant...we would be importing the same product and probably be stockpiling it here at the Port of Newcastle. In fact, the turnover would be slower and we would be storing more ammonium nitrate for longer periods here at the port".
That is indeed odd logic in my opinion, to justify storage at the port rather than a facility closer to the mines away from Newcastle. Can Mr Fitzgibbon assure us that a lightning strike, earthquake or other unforeseen event will never occur? Assurances from NSW Department of Planning and Environment about safety provide me with absolutely no confidence. Look at their record on the Truegain contamination disaster at Rutherford. The only acceptable risk is no risk.
Zenon Woloszyn, Rutherford
Epidemic of errors predates COVID
EVEN before COVID-19 became our nation's most difficult public safety issue, our politicians were guilty of fundamental mistakes and misspeaks on a regular basis. Scott Morrison's AstraZeneca announcement is one of his most recent.
Attempting to put a positive spin on his government's intention to undertake (subject to successful testing) universal vaccination of the nation with a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University, I believe Morrison overstepped parliament's constitutional powers.
That document says "the parliament shall have power to make laws with respect to medical and dental services, but not so as to authorise any form of conscription." Within hours, Scott Morrison was forced back onto the media to plug the hole in the boat constitutionally.
It was too late to avoid the ire of the anti-vaccination lobby and the opportunism of Pauline Hanson and Mark Latham. Clearly, the anti-vaccinationists have a constitutional right to support their opposition to what Morrison had inferred initially about AstraZeneca vaccinations. However, nothing exists in the Australian constitution supporting the hypocrisy of Pauline Hanson's reliance upon the Australian Human Rights Act nor the blatant use of opportunism by her factional ally Mark Latham.
Barry Swan, Balgownie
Omitting our emissions isn't a fix
JOEL Fitzgibbon saying that Australia's percentage of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions is only 1.3 per cent and therefore is an insignificant contributor to any impact ('Gas the key to cleaner future', Opinion 21/8) is correct, but needs to be more fully explained. NASA has long identified that human activity accounts for only three to four per cent of atmospheric carbon emissions and to this end they have invested more than $200 million in measuring the sources globally and where it is absorbed.
When we talk of totals entering the atmosphere, Australia's contribution is a mere 1.3 per cent of four per cent, or a minute 0.052 per cent of emissions. No wonder the total emissions measured globally have shown no identifiable slowing during the COVID-19 crisis even though China, India, Europe and the US, (accounting for over 70 per cent of human emissions) have slashed output during the pandemic.
Australia should under these circumstances not try to lead the world and destroy our industries and jobs as our efforts will be futile, a bit like King Canute trying to hold back the tide.
John Davies, Newcastle East
SHARE YOUR OPINION
Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text message to 0427 154 176 (include name and suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words. Short Takes should be fewer than 50 words. Correspondence may be edited and reproduced in any form.
SHORT TAKES
I RECEIVED an email from City of Newcastle council last week which commenced with the following: "City of Newcastle's transition to digital residential parking permits has been put on hold to allow for an improved customer experience". I was informed that in the meantime they were reverting to the old label system. Rather than the writer searching the lexicon for a fancy phrase, he could have chosen to use the vernacular and simply written "we're having trouble making it work".
Les Brennan, Newcastle East
LARA Jones (Letters, 21/8), firstly, I truly feel for you. We were quietly thankful our son and daughter did not go ahead with US and Irish loves. Nazism was an evil menace to everyone, like the pandemic. Strong leadership and resistance defeated it. China has been determined to stop the pandemic in its tracks with the fiercest lockdowns. The reason; for as little loss as possible to its economy.
Graeme Tychsen, Rankin Park
LARA Jones almost made me shed a tear. She needs to understand that returned travellers are largely responsible for the situation that we as a nation are currently going through. It is your choice to travel and it is not up to the taxpayer to support you after your return.
Darren Saxon, Pelican
IF there are any vacancies on Christmas Island, maybe the next person we send should be Clive Palmer. He can take fellow Queenslander Peter Dutton as company.
Darryl Tuckwell, Eleebana
GIVEN the population of northern NSW and the fact that people living there need to access Queensland hospitals highlights the shortcomings of the Berejiklian government.
John Bonnyman, Fern Bay
DARREN Sparks (Short Takes, 21/8), I'm not sure how supporting a local business about double standards with COVID protocols and my leaving the area before the possibility of an area becoming a hotspot is contradictory? I see it as common sense. Go the Knights.
Tony Mansfield, Lambton
PAT Garnet (Letters, 21/08), I was specifically referring to pubs, clubs and cafes where you need to register for entry/potential future tracking. I stand by my comments as written regarding the establishments mentioned in my original article. I didn't mention anything relating to shopping areas. If you get a chance, please visit some of the local hospitality venues in the area and I'm sure you will walk away with a positive view.
Scott Dorman, The Junction
MICHAEL Gormly, it seems every waterfront home owner on Sydney Harbour is a climate denier as they are not selling up and running to the hills to escape catastrophic sea level rises. Maybe Fort Denison is floating and not an island at all. I'm no scientist, but you might be able to tell me exactly when it will disappear under water as I would like to visit Fort Denison before it becomes a reef.
